IYP Presents: Marni/Double Wish/Siam Jem

Siam Jem is the dream-rock project fronted by songwriter Michaela Rabina. With fuzzy guitar tones and ethereal synth pop tendencies, Siam Jem is the perfect combination of upbeat indie rock and dreamy shoegaze thanks to inspirations like The Strokes and My Bloody Valentine.

Rabina and her band have spent the last year writing and recording their debut full-length record and playing shows across the west coast - locally in Southern California and as far as Portland and Seattle in the Pacific Northwest. In the past year, Siam Jem has shared the stage with up-and-coming artists like Sir Chloe, Levitation Room, and Winona Forever.

Siam Jem is Michaela Rabina on vocals and rhythm guitar, Lauren Peña on lead guitar, Minli Flynn on bass, Elias Perez on keys, and Damian Pacheco on drums.

MARNI comes from Marni Ct, a neighborhood cul-de-sac in Palm Springs, CA in which songwriter Nicolas Lara spent 4 years developing his shimmering sound. Fast forward and Lara is living in LA with a hefty catalog of solo work now polished with the help of a backing band. His latest is the intoxicating 7-song, Whiskey Girl, which features bright guitars, heavy rhythms and vocals that echo into a surrounding whisper making you feel as if you’re in the very room it was recorded. With help from producer/friend Nick Noble, whom which performed drums on the project, W.G. is Lara’s most vulnerable project to date, yet it maintains the catchy desert sound now signature to him. It’s part emo and part folk, with a lot more genre-bending to unpack in each song. Lyrically, it’s a self-reflective tell-all. Lara notions that old habits die hard, and yet we must be able to forgive ourselves and grow from them. The leading single “Fragile” is as much a head bopper as it is a heart breaker. Here we’re reminded that independent songwriting still delivers. It’s just one example of new terrain for Lara, whereas “Manic” is a return to roots. Here we visualize him back on Marni Ct strumming a guitar with the blinds open just enough to shine a fleeting light on the strings. You’re there with him in the quietest part of the city. As he sings “this feels like home,” you feel just the same. The standout performances and replay-ability will make sure you don’t miss the next Marni gig. - Arturo Ramirez

Double Wish makes dark-sunshine-pop. Since 2007 multi-instrumentalists Philippe Andre and Adam Sabolick have played music together, weaving in and out of different projects throughout Los Angeles. In 2020 Adam’s bedroom demos became Philippe’s studio recordings and Double Wish began.

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